English for Mental Health Professionals
Enhance your English & strengthen your mental health practice
We are now accepting applications for our next English for Mental Health Professionals cohort!
Course starts: October 20, 2026
Application deadline: October 16, 2026
Late applications will be considered for the next available cohort.
Limited spots available
Submit your application here by October 16 to be considered for the upcoming cohort.
Designed for mental health professionals looking to work more with English-speaking clients, the course helps participants gain confidence speaking English in therapeutic settings. Get practical, guided practice for real intake and counselling conversations in English, alongside your classmates.
Online Classes
10 weeks
Thursdays
Mornings (9:30 AM – 11:00 AM)
or Evenings (7:00 PM – 8:30 PM)*Please note that we cannot guarantee your preferred time at this stage, as we are collecting time preferences from all applicants. We will let you know once we have finalized the schedule.
What to expect:
- 1.5 hours a week for 10 weeks
- Small class (maximum 12 participants)
- No tests or grades
- Practical resources, tools, and lots of interview practice with your classmates in guided roleplays
- Free access to digital flashcards on Brainscape to help you practice counselling interview structures daily
- One private 20-minute coaching session with the instructor
Learn how to:
- Use language for intake questions and clinical case formulation with clients
- Use language for small talk, and for opening and navigating a session
- Self-notice and correct your most common English errors
- Use AI to review your speaking for quick and accurate feedback
Your Instructor: Brenda Kaya
Brenda has 25+ years of experience teaching English and workplace communication. She currently teaches Professional Communication as part of BREM, a bridging program at MNLC for psychotherapists. She understands the language and cultural nuances needed for effective counselling in Ontario.
Who can join?
This class is open to anyone already working in the mental health field who wants to strengthen their English for counselling/psychotherapy practice. It is open to individuals of all immigration statuses. You’ll make meaningful progress in a supportive community of peers who are in the same professional fields and who share your professional goals.
You must have a minimum language score of CLB 6 or an equivalent score on another English language assessment (e.g., IELTS, CELPIP, Duolingo, TOEFL, ELTPA, or Pearson).
Course fee: $450
Ready to speak with greater confidence?
Classes start on October 20. Spaces are limited.
English for Mental Health Professionals course and the BREM program.
While the instructor for English for Mental Health Professionals also teaches Professional Communication in the BREM program, the two courses are independent of one another. Taking English for Mental Health Professionals does not guarantee admission to the BREM program.
Eligibility for the BREM program involves several criteria beyond English proficiency. Applicants must demonstrate:
- CLB 7+
- A credential assessment of their related education completed outside Canada
- Transcripts from relevant program(s)
- Reference letter(s) from employers outside Canada outlining professional experience and describing therapeutic modalities used (if applicable)
- Education and experience are assessed through an admission interview.
The English for Mental Health Professionals course may support you with language confidence in clinical contexts and clearer communication during the interview, but it does not teach therapeutic communication skills or psychotherapy practice. The course focuses on language structures, vocabulary, and communication patterns commonly used by psychotherapists, practiced through role plays and language activities.
In contrast, the Professional Communication course in BREM focuses on therapeutic communication skills, which is a different objective and part of the professional training within the BREM curriculum.
It is important to note that the English for Mental Health Professionals course cannot directly increase a CLB score. However, improving English skills can help you perform better in a future CLB assessment. In that sense, the course may support stronger English proficiency, but it is not a CLB preparation course.
Regarding the next BREM cohort, the start date has not yet been confirmed. We will update our website as soon as new information becomes available.
The nearest course
The English for Mental Health Professionals course, starting October 20, is now open for registration.
Contact us if you have
any questions:
CE@mnlc.ca
“Since I began attending LINC classes at MNLCT, my English instructor has encouraged me to pursue what I like. She has a great zest for life, which influences her students deeply.”
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